Impossible Miracles
by terracannon876
Summary: Based off of Kokoro and its AMVs.  A boy genius tries to revive his twin sister as a robot but finds that she is missing something.  He may not get to see her as she was before his time runs out.
1. A Lonely Scientist

I have a confession to make.

I am horribly addicted to good Japanese AMVs with good art. Even if the lyrics are sung by a voice synthesizer. And then that somehow led to one video after another, which led me to this set of videos - the Kokoro-Kiseki videos by ... uh, I'm not sure who actually did the art, but the nicovid number is sm2975813 for the Len version of the song.

And then Len just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. No wait, I'm the one who's grabbing Len and won't let go.

(He's so ... huggable...)

So, here's a ... what, a novelization? based off the two songs. I think I'll be sticking mostly with Len's POV, though.

(I'm also a fan of the Aku no _ or the _ of Evil series, but that's a story for another time.)

Oh, one final warning. This is actually my first exploration into the world of Vocaloid, so I can only guess at what their personalities are supposed to be like.

And I don't own any of the characters, or the program, or any of the songs or the AMVs. Except maybe a digital copy of something or another.

* * *

**Chapter 01**

Squeak squeak.

The sound pervaded through the room. The smell of the oil and metal permeated through his senses. He couldn't feel the sunshine that flowed through the windows; they were obscured by the curtains as he isolated himself to the room. The fluorescent light overhead flickered brightly as he sat on the floor trying to work through a few of the many remaining problems on the paper that lay atop the pile scattered before him.

"No, that's not right… The equation should work in theory, but something else is interfering."

He fought not to bite his thumb. The noxious taste that stained his hands had already deterred him several times, but he never remembered the "don't" until he had already done it.

With a groan, he ruffled his hair and buried his face in his hands. The frustration was coming to a head. A few months left, only a few months. Several years spent, so many years he had poured into this project.

He looked up. On what appeared to be a pure white bed, the only soft, hospitable object in the cold room with its gray concrete walls, lay a girl. She was young, the same age as he was, with the same beautiful golden hair and the same pale skin. She was clothed in a yellow robe – a temporary arrangement as he hadn't had time to worry about what she should wear yet. The only care he took was to put a white ribbon in her hair. She had always done that in her past.

"_Look! Don't you think I look just like a rabbit with this in my hair? … Don't say it's stupid! You're the one who likes fluffy animals!"_

He shook his head. Her voice ran through his mind as though it were just yesterday.

If she opened her eyes, he knew they would be the same beautiful sky blue as his. The color of a sky unmarred by the omen of rain or night. He knew because he had seen them many times before. Because he and she were one. And because he had created them.

He brought his pencil to the paper again, and for the next fragment of eternity, he wrote and erased, wrote and crossed out more. The eraser became worn to bits, both by the paper and by his teeth.

A clock rung. It was the only instrument he allowed in the room that was indicative of the outside world. Time was important. It passed everywhere, no matter whether you ignored it or not.

And with a deadline like his, he could not afford to remain indifferent.

With a great sigh, he placed the pencil down and stood. He stood by the bed. He looked down on her.

She looked just as she did before, like she was taking a nap after class.

"_Unless _Vocaloids Live_ is coming on, don't wake me up! I swear, if you try, I'll … I'll punch you in my sleep! … … … Stop laughing!"_

He moved his hands to her bangs, gently pushing them to the side. He'd done the motion so many times that the action was meaningless, but he still felt that if he did anything more, she would wake. Somehow, her lying whole and "asleep" made everything completely different from when she's sitting with an arm or a leg missing, being adjusted.

The gears were fussy; they had to be the most precise possible, and he had to adjust them so that they would run perfectly.

He couldn't stand the thought of her movement stopping in the middle of something else.

Like she had died.

He couldn't stand the thought of having to open her up to replace the part.

Like he had when she had died.

When he remembered this point, he felt the tears prick his eyes. It was already a normal occurrence, so he didn't even bother stopping. He just covered his eyes with a clean handkerchief from his pocket to keep the liquid that poured seemingly incessantly from his eyes from contaminating the bed or his notes (and his sleeves were too dirty to be used).

The clock chimed the next half hour. The boy startled; he hadn't expected to stay for so long. He hurriedly got up to leave, but not before gently laying a kiss on the girl's brow.

"Good night, Rin."

With those words, the boy genius, Len, turned off the lights and left the cold, heartless room.


	2. Sleeping Beauty

Ah yes, can't forget to tell the story that led to me finding the video. It was Dying Message by RukawaGF of the Durarara! fandom.

So, I imagine this story being a sort of sci-fi fairy tale. I'm going to keep the story as simple as possible. Try, at least.

(Hah, simple? My last story was initially planned for 10 chapters and it ended up exploding to somewhere around 25. Pfft...)

Um, as for any pairings... (trails off into silence)

* * *

**Chapter 02**

His fingers lay on the switch. Deep breaths. Just a twitch of his muscle, and his project would be finished.

The room looked much the same as it had just a week ago. The floor was sheeted with pages of computation. The walls were as blank as ever.

The only difference was the wires that bore down from the ceiling and draped like thick boas centering in on the kill. They twisted and intertwined grotesquely until what they created resembled more like a single tree trunk than a forest.

Some of the wires entered the girl's temple; others into where her heart would be. Still others connected to her feet, and to her neck.

She lay as still as ever before, still asleep. A picture of pure beauty other than the sight of the connections marring her otherwise perfect appearance.

He had sat with his back to her, unable to look at her more than he had to.

But those days were coming to an end. The basic AI was finally done, the functionalities for motion, understanding speech, self-check operations, and most importantly, the ability to learn. He had tried to program as many personality traits as he could, but the sheer depth of his sister's character eluded his attempt to code it into simple lines of words, and so he had to settle with a pale of shadow of what he could recreate. What she didn't know, she could learn from him.

That was the plan, at least.

Deep breaths. Fingers on the switch, the Run button on his computer. He closed his eyes, back still facing her.

He moved.

There was no loud whirring or incessant blips and beeps like they showed in the movies. There was only silence. The soft sounds of his prayers leaving his lips did not even reach his ears as he sat, curled on the floor in front of his computer, with his knees pulled close to his face as his hands cupped the words.

And then there was a slight creak and rustle. The wires were being strained – he knew this in his mind, but he did not comprehend. He stared up at the ceiling, looking at the pulling motions.

It was only when he heard another voice in the isolated room did he react.

It was only a simple "Ah…" but it was enough, because it was **her** voice.

Len flailed around, and hastily stood, as though he had forgotten how to move his limbs. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sure that's uncomfortable … I'll remove them right now."

With fingers shaking with anxiety and shock, he removed the wires that now served no purpose – their data had been downloaded the previous day, but the charging meant they still needed to be connected.

When he reached the wires at her temple, she opened her eyes. The sight caused him to stop.

"Hello, sleepy head. Have a good beauty sleep?" he couldn't help asking.

And if there was no answer, he didn't care as he removed the last of the defilations and she became whole.

It was enough to see her eyes again, reflecting himself in them as though they were together and one again.


	3. A Conversation

A change of pace in story-telling style.

Thank you for your reviews =) It really makes writing this nice because I know someone's reading it.

* * *

**Chapter 03**

He shook hands with the older man.

"While I appreciate your willingness to help, I am afraid I cannot accept your offer."

The man frowned, pulling his moustache and beard down into a disappointed 'U.' "It does not take a genius to know what you are trying to do. As you are, you know you have a miniscule chance of even glimpsing the goal."

"Yes, but…"

"While a basic AI is simple enough, it is difficult to try to simulate the human mind. The sheer number of ideas a mind can dream up in a few minutes is staggering. Trying to get a computer that bases its calculations off of algorithms is going to be nigh impossible."

"But it's not impossible."

A sigh from the man, as he dragged his hand down his face in exasperation, "No, it is not. With today's innovations, it may well be possible. However … as contradictory as it is to hear a scientist like me say this, you're trying to program a **soul** here."

"I know."

Another sigh, this one heartfelt, as though the very breath drained years away from the man's life. "And yet you still want to continue alone…?"

"Yes. Thank you, for everything you've done for me. I would not have brought this to anyone else but one I completely trusted. As my teacher, you have taught me everything—"

"Stop that, Len. Talk like your age for once. People of fourteen would be too embarrassed to say those words."

The boy genius chuckled. "Perhaps, but then I have never really conformed to standards, have I?"

"No, indeed you haven't. I've never seen anyone pick up the field faster than you have, nor create as many original programs as well as you have."

"Now you're the one embarrassing me."

"Haha, an eye for an eye, I suppose. I apologize for not being able to help you in your endeavor in the slightest. You have already surpassed me long ago."

"No, it's quite all right. Don't worry about it." Len stood, ready to leave. "Thank you for your time, professor. I'll be going now."

"When you finish, tell me? I'll be anxiously awaiting good news."

Len smiled. "I will." He opened the door, and almost stepped out when the man's voice stopped him again.

"And Len, take care of yourself, will you? I'm not sure what the doctor said, but don't overstrain yourself."

At those words, Len's smile stretched wider. "I won't. I actually have an appointment with him soon. Last time I met him, though, he said that there was no change in my condition."

_And that is why I have to hurry._

"That's good," the man nodded, reassured. "Well, good bye then. Until next time."

"Until next time."

With a final click, the door was shut.

Len walked down the hallway until he turned the corner. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in thought.

He had hoped against hope that perhaps the man he respected most would be able to help him. Luckily, he was also the only man that he had trusted with even a hint about his "project." Granted, Len hadn't told him anything outright, but his teacher still knew.

He was almost an open book to the man who had tutored him not long ago. It was nerve-wracking, choosing every word precisely and schooling his expression just so such that he wouldn't suspect anything.

The "almost" part was his savior, or else he would have already been forcibly confined to a bed by his orders some time ago.

The doctor appointment was a lie; the last medical professional he had said he'd never seen a case so hopeless, that "Unfortunately, there is no help we can provide. As bed rest will not help, perhaps you should take this time to live your life out to the fullest – see the sights you want to see, go places you want to go."

There was only one thing he wanted to do.

And most regrettably, it had run into a roadblock.


	4. Fading Hope

**Chapter 04**

"Brother, what would you like me to do?"

"Just sit still over there, Rin. I'm almost done."

"Yes, Brother."

The mechanical tone coming from the girl's mouth caused the boy scientist to flinch.

She had never spoken with a monotone before. She was supposed to be full of life and energy.

But the moment he accepted the fact that this robot, this girl, was a mere imitation of who she was supposed to be was the moment he gave up.

He coughed a little into his hand as he finished scrawling his notes on with the other. He narrowed his eyes in slight disgust at the flecks of red on his palm, but he just took out his handkerchief and wiped it away. He put the pen down and turned his chair around.

She was still sitting there, her hands folded neatly in her lap, feet placed firm on the floor, back straight and tall. It was so proper it was unnatural.

The room was cleared away. The wires were cleared away, and the bed was pushed to a corner of the room (with the girl's help, because metal limbs were stronger than those of flesh even when one was newly born). The papers were stacked in a pile at another corner. About the only piece of equipment that hadn't moved was the computer with its many screens.

The center of the room was empty but for two chairs and an easel. A bookshelf had been installed in the back, filled with novels that he had dug from the attic and from the empty room that stood next to his. He had had to dust them off, as they hadn't been touched since the inhabitant had left them behind.

He could not go in to that room until today. It was hers and she'd always chased him out on account of it being "girl property." And it was too quiet in there. So quiet that he'd start hearing and seeing people that weren't there.

There were no parents. They had disappeared long ago. He didn't even remember their faces. There was one portrait over the sitting room, but to Len, the two rooms that existed were his bedroom and the laboratory.

From the start, it had just been the two of them.

And now there was one.

(The robot… She was not Rin until the most important aspect – what made Rin _Rin_ – was there. Until then, she was just "the girl.")

He settled himself into the chair opposite where she sat. He could feel her eyes on him. They were always on him, watching his every move, as though waiting for his instructions. It made him slightly sick; he had known when he'd developed the program that this would happen – it was an unfortunate side effect to the learning process and hopefully she'd "outgrow" it – but that didn't mean he was any more accepting of the behavior.

_She_ was never this dependent.

He was always the dependent one.

And just programming her to say "Brother" instead of calling him by his name or, God forbid, "Master" didn't make anything any more natural.

It ended up just making everything worse.

With a deep breath as Len gathered his nerves, he opened his mouth.

"I'm done. Let's start with your first lesson."

"Yes, Brother.


	5. The Happy Things and the Sad Things

A slight change in POV. This one admittedly probably won't run as smoothly as I'd like, dialogue-wise.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

She did not comprehend.

She knew she was one of the few conscious robots in the world.

She knew there was an "I."

This meant she knew she was intelligent. One of the best, made by one of the best.

Yes, she also knew about this boy, the only other "I" in this world.

She knew that she had been built in the image of his sister.

Her name was Rin. She liked ice cream, sunshine, singing, and yellow. She was energetic and liked to talk. She liked to "tease" this boy. Her brother.

This she all understood and knew.

But what he asked of her was beyond her capabilities. There was nothing in her program that handled this clause he was trying to input.

"_You remember that time we went to the beach? You were laughing so happily when you chased me down the sands. Haha, and then I swear you'd shriek when the water hit your ankles. You jumped back so far I thought you were going to fall over, but you managed to catch yourself just in time. Sigh, that was one of the best times, although you'd never let me mention to others how your 'little brother' managed to outrun you."_

"_Oh, and that time we got a puppy. It was so furry and soft. Warm, too. It liked you better than me, though. It would always clamber over my feet and into your lap, and then it would go and lick your face all wet. You always laughed afterwards, but then you'd wipe your face in my shirt and get it all wet."_

He always laughed. Mouth tilted up in a smile, eyes shining cheerfully.

"_This? It's because I'm happy. The memories remind me of the happier times of life."_

She did not understand why they made him happy. But happy was a good thing, so she had nodded and listened to more of what he had to say.

Smiling was a good thing – so she was told – but he never smiled any other time.

She wanted him to be happy, to smile more, and so she let him talk, and she remembered, recorded in her database everything he said.

_These were what made him happy._

But if only letting him talk and listen was the key to happiness, then it was also the key to what he called "sadness." Sadness was wetness, hesitance, and just bad, and avoiding the bad was part of her programming. Sometimes sadness was a thinning of lips and tension.

But the boy kept talking. He talked through the flood and charged through the words that wouldn't form on his lips.

"_I wasn't good with the night. Rin was always the one who brought light with her, and I was scared when she wasn't in the room with me when the lights were off. One time, she was out with her friends, and I remember that I had tried to stay at home, but there was thunder and lightning and rain, and it was night. The power went off, and I got scared, so I ran. I knew the direction, but I got lost along the way and slipped all the way down into the forest. She can always find me somehow though; I don't know how she does it. And she wouldn't let go of me. That's all I remember because I couldn't keep my eyes open, but I remember hearing her scream at me over and over again." _

"_Rin, she was never scared of anything. She always held my hand whenever I was the one afraid. The only time I've seen her cry freely was when our dog died. It was completely an accident, but her tears … it was like a dam had broken and she cried more than she had for our parents. Yes, she was very sad that day. She had gotten attached to the dog – I don't even remember his name now – and she wouldn't let go of its body even after the police had arrived. She was all red by the time we got home."_

The liquid flowing from his eyes would eventually cause him to bury his head in his palms as he tried to wipe them away.

"_Tears. I hate them. It's normal to cry when you're sad, though."_

"_You have to know the bad that comes with the good, Rin, and I will keep talking until you understand."_

But she didn't think she ever would.

It was all so very hard when sometimes he would cry when he talked about the good too.


	6. Even if it's for a Second Longer

I'm procrastinating, shhhhh.

Thanks for those who reviewed! You were all really encouraging and comments~

* * *

**Chapter 06**

Sometimes he took her outside of the room. They did more and more of that as the days passed.

Even Len was starting to miss a world that wasn't smooth and white.

He looked over as she looked up into the sun, always in wonder. She had the most basic of heat sensors, so she should be able to detect the warmth. After all, she had always enjoyed warmth before, so it was pointless to deny her the luxury of being able feel what she had once adored.

His lips twisted a little when he remembered the girl's first steps out of the lab. So caught up in her sensations, she had instantly tried to locate the source of the heat and looked up. Straight at the sun.

In a fit of panic, he had grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. She had stared straight at him. No widening of eyes or even a quirk of an eyebrow.

(_"What the hell was that for?"_)

His hand had faltered and moved away. "S-sorry. You shouldn't look at the sun. It will hurt your eyes."

She had stayed quiet for two seconds, as though processing what he had said (a mere show for his comfort, as her brain was capable of instant comprehension). "My visual sensors would not have been-"

"Just don't!" He had surprised himself with the sudden loud voice. She didn't change her expression.

A silence.

"I understand, Brother."

There was one thing he did correctly – she learned quickly. Obvious though it was, especially because it was by his hands, he still marveled.

For once, he didn't care that her abilities were faster than those of a human. It made his goal so much easier to attain, almost not impossible.

The sakura tree outside of the house was in full bloom. He gazed up at the blossoms, and by his side she did the same.

Was it pathetic he felt kinship with a tree?

He coughed into his hand and viewed the red left behind with expressionless eyes. This had happened so many times before it was no surprise anymore. Without missing a beat, he took out his handkerchief and dried his hands.

The girl never said a word nor showed any worry. It was probably a matter of normality rather than a lack of feeling in this case, he mused. He had been doing it as long as she had known. Perhaps she considered this "normal" and thus nothing to be concerned about.

"Well, shall we start again?" Len said, turning to his now-pupil. He found it was easier to pretend to be cheerful around her as time passed.

She nodded and took her place in front of him. "I'm ready."

While he did not have any special talent in singing – he had never tried, though he had learned how to read music at Rin's persistence – there was no better way to teach this particular hobby of his sister than by following an example. The girl had learned to read sheet music quickly enough, at least.

She had taken to everything else quickly, and though she already knew almost everything Lin had known, this was the last aspect that he had been most reluctant to work on. After all, who had ever heard of singing without any feelings to back the words? It was like banging the keyboard and saying you were playing the piano.

He wanted _Rin_ again, though. So he would try, even if it was ultimately a futile act. Singing required a heart.

Heart. It always came back to that. He did not know what to make of it. In fact, the most informative documents on the matter were _philosophy_ texts, and those were hardly any help in his programming efforts.

He roughly shoved these unpleasant thoughts from his mind as words flowed from his mouth, matched by the more dulcet tones of the girl. Her voice was perfect, if not emotionless. He could almost imagine hearing her again if he didn't concentrate too hard on listening.

Singing, Len reasoned, was a matter of variety, in the girl's case. Repetition was pointless, as she hardwired everything into her memory. It was simply a matter of pulling up the procedure data again. Thus, he had scoured Rin's old music books, picking simple songs first and then working on longer and longer ones.

However, the longest ones were always the ones he composed himself – an inevitable, self-appointed job he undertook when the number of pieces to work on gradually shrunk.

Before long – _too short _– the song was over.

"That was great," the boy said with a smile, in high spirits. He ruffled the girl's hair before realizing what he was doing.

With a short cough, this one entirely voluntary, he backed away. "Th-that's great. Let's try that again?"

The girl nodded.


	7. Why are you Crying?

I've come to realize how some words just don't have any synonyms. Though it's kind of hard to tell in this chapter which word I'm talking about exactly, since this chapter is repetition galore.

I'm actually having fun writing as Rin, as crazy as this subject matter is.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"What am I to you?"

He suddenly asked. She looked up from her book – an exercise in "imagination," as he had worded it. She did not understand the purpose fully, but she tried.

She always tried when it came to her Brother.

She cocked her head as she ran through the possible interpretations of the question, but every one conflicted the present context. She chose the default response.

"What do you mean?"

His expression changed. Furrowed eyebrows, tight lips, slightly narrowed eyes. A "bad" expression, that could be anything from uncomfortable, awkwardness, anxiety to anger or even constipation.

Yet again, not enough context except to rule out the last possibility.

"Never mind. I shouldn't have asked." He turned to leave.

But it was simply a matter of clarification, wasn't it? She reached out to stop him, grabbed him by the sleeve. He turned, eyes widened. Shock.

"I'm sorry. Judging from your personality and actions, my responses would not have been appropriate answers. Can you please clarify so that I can answer the question properly?"

He sighed and stood to face her, though he did remove the fingers clasped to his cuff.

"What would you have replied?"

"Brother, assigned replacement to the phrase 'Master.' My creator. My teacher."

His lips quirked. She had answered correctly, then. This tenuous belief was affirmed when he placed his hand on her head and rubbed it back and forth, breaking her hair out of the hairpins. She waited for him to finish before reaching up and redoing the pins.

It was a new habit of his, one that meant that she had done something "good." Unlike the tears that sometimes appeared when he talked about happy things, this one was unequivocal in its meaning. The smile only supported this inference, and so she remembered everything she did that had earned this action.

Singing. Drawing. Answering certain questions correctly regarding desires or opinions – subjective information.

"You're right about that at least. I shouldn't have expected anything else."

He sighed, but didn't move. Then, sniffling reached her ears. She focused her eyes on his, and realized that they were moist. Was he crying? Did tears in this situation mean he was happy or sad? Considering how his other signs were positive, this one must be one as well.

He reached up to wipe the tracks away, but just as he was lifting his arm, a cough racked his body. He rasped a few times before the attack assaulted him again, bringing him down to his knees, shuddering.

She stood before him, waiting for him to rise again. He usually did after only a few seconds. This time he didn't; he stayed on the floor, staring down at his hands. She focused on them too, and realized they were red.

Red was a color she associated with the attacks. That along with wetness. The amount this time was much larger than before, staining his sleeves and dripping to the floor in _shallop_s.

He continued to stare at the crimson stains. Murmurs reached her ears. "So close… _So close_…!"

More tears flowed, but this time she was not sure for their reason.

She knelt down before him and looked him in the eye. The movement must have caught his attention because he looked up too.

"Why are you crying?"

She had asked this question countless times before, in an attempt to categorize this most ambiguous expression. However, his response confused her more than before.

His tears flowed harder than before, and this time laughter accompanied the stream, broken intermittently by a cough.

* * *

I realize how cliched a subject matter a "mysterious illness of splurting blood" is, but I'm no doctor (yet) and am not familiar with any diseases, so I dunno where to start looking for a more realistic excuse. Either way, he's coughing up blood. That's all we need to know =D

Any comments greatly appreciated!


	8. Evolution?

Whoo! Long-ish chapter again!

I foresee two more chapters, but who knows.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Len scoffed as he shuffled himself further into the pillows. Propped up, he felt like a doll on display.

Really, the comparison probably wasn't far off the mark. One touch and he would probably break like those porcelain ones both he and his sister had hated. (They stared and stared and wouldn't stop staring. At least the girl blinked.)

The doctor gave instructions to her at the foot of his bed, heedless of his heated glares. A fierce pride welled within him – not one of a brother, but one of a scientist. If the man realized some was off about the supposed "friend's" lack of panic or emotionless eyes, he didn't show it. Indeed, he was telling her to keep him in bed at all times and when to serve him what foods and liquids. As though she would heed his orders over his own.

After basking a bit in the satisfaction, he quashed it. It wasn't the kind he wanted, and continuing to think of the girl as a robot was certainly detrimental if he wanted to get further. (Had he gotten anywhere at all? Made any progress in these months?)

Perhaps the girl was not the only problem in his little project. His own mindset and prejudices were a hamper as well, albeit one that was cropping up less and less over time.

"_The disease is much more advanced than when I last checked, Len. You haven't been keeping your appointments either and have been nigh impossible to contact. I don't pretend to know the least bit about what you do, but for you to have gone this far… You must have been heavily straining yourself. Overstressing. Damn it, you knew you had little time left! Why are you trying to rush to your death?"_

Len wasn't sure whether to be appalled that the doctor had even assumed such a thing (not that the guy didn't have any basis for it) or to be touched that the man had lost his composure enough to yell those words in the first place. That was why he liked the man, though; he didn't mince his words and was honest, unlike those other adults.

This doctor knew about his loss – was the one who counseled him to prevent another death that same day – but he did not know what Rin had looked like. He had been suggested by his worried mentor, and by the time the man had visited, all the photos had been sloppily crammed in an attempt to hide the painful memories; it was only later he went back to the boxes and re-packed them with more care. The man must never have asked his mentor for any information either, since he didn't show any reaction, positive or negative, when the girl opened the door to invite him in after she had called him on the phone.

It was another half hour before the man finally left. He heard the click of the door as it shut behind him. He moved to get up, only to be pushed back down again by the robot.

"He said that you were too stressed. You would only be getting up to do more work and tiring yourself out more. Rest. I will get you some water."

Len was flummoxed. He didn't even notice his fish face, open jaw and all, as she left the room. It was only when she had returned and held the glass in front of his face that he managed to conjure a response. "Did you just give me an order?"

She paused, as she often did when she was in thought (Thought? Robots don't need to "think"!). "I only suggested what would have been better in the long run for you."

He sighed. Perhaps he had placed too much emphasis on the "good" and "bad" in his programming. She was even forming future plans of action based off of those principles. Then again, perhaps that wasn't a bad thing, except that that particular program was the only one that held more precedence over his words.

It looked like he would be bedridden for a long time, he mused resignedly as he took the water. The coolness was a welcome balm to his sore throat and he handed back the glass after he downed it all in one go. He handed back the cup with a nod of thanks.

After she left, he looked out the window. He could still see the sakura tree outside. "Well, it looks like it will be a race between you and me," he grumbled, propping his chin on his hand, "and here I thought I had this race in the bag."

His eyes were still glued to the outside even when the girl had returned. "Brother, is there anything you would like me to do?"

Turning to her, he considered his options – what did she need to work on the most? – but the thought process was broken by a great yawn. Surprisingly, she spoke up again.

"You're tired. You should sleep."

He waved her off. "I'm fine. It's much too early for me to sleep. Why don't you … um … sing? Which song…"

"All right. I will be singing the song alone then. You will sleep." And with just those words, she opened her mouth and the melody flowed out.

Len was not one to appreciate being surprised, especially not so often in one day. The song she had chosen was a lullaby – one of the earlier ones he had taught her, one of Rin's own rough compositions.

Did she choose it because she considered the definition of a lullaby? Or because he had liked it? Because it was one of the last remnants of his sister he had left? Besides, when had she gotten so assertive? Was it her program? Or was it…

He shook his head. Maybe he was tired. Stupid, stupid thoughts were creeping into his brain. He was starting to think too much, and the thoughts were only running in circles.

The boy didn't realize just how much his fatigue weighed him down. The lulling waves of the girl's voice were ushering him to sleep, and as he closed his eyes, he saw her there, singing. Showing off like she always did. He heard her as she was before. And just as he was pulled from the shore of consciousness, he spoke these words to her.

"Thanks, Rin."


	9. A Message

And now we are reaching the end.

Don't forget to review!

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**Chapter 09**

When he had fallen asleep and she finished the song, she made sure he was warm and pulled the covers up further.

Satisfied, she turned to get a glass of water, in case he awakened and was thirsty.

The doctor had said that Len, her Brother, had at most one week remaining, and that was if he didn't stress himself out like he had before. She had been admonished for not alerting him earlier about the vomited blood. She didn't talk, only nodded as she inputted line after line of new data to add to her database.

The first entry can be more or less summarized as, "Wet red streaming from the mouth is not and will never be normal."

She had honestly never surmised otherwise. There was no comparison, and Len said that all the unpleasant parts were expurgated from the novels she sometimes read. She had assumed this was the case and never dwelt on the matter.

It was not in her nature to understand many answers to the question "Why?" but she knew the answer without even a moment's consideration.

He did not want her to know.

The "why" of this… Now that was lost to her. Hiding health problems could only lead to detrimental effects, and from what the doctor said, it was in fact hastening the problem. He had always appeared "normal," but how much of that was truly normal she did not know either.

Lack of context.

(Were those smiles a lie too, then?)

Rehash. He always smiled when the subject came to Rin. Rin, whom she was a shadow of. Rin, the elder twin who died on her way to Len's award ceremony.

She had heard many stories about her. It was all he talked about. In fact, Brother's existence wasn't so much "Len" as it was "Len and Rin." None of his words were just about him. They were either for her instruction or for his reminiscence. Even in his gradual unconsciousness, he had used her name.

She did not know his purpose for telling her everything. She had never known Rin, and she was no longer around. Introductions were useless if meeting her was impossible. And then there was the question of Len. There was no need for him to continuously think about her, as though his thought-process were shorting out and always returning in an infinite loop. Was this also normal?

Len was around. Rin was not. To her, it was as simple as that. She would do what she was programmed to do – to learn – and if what she had to do was learn about Rin…

It was as simple as that.

Why? She did not know and, for this particular instance, she did not wonder.

As she had answered Len's question, he was "Brother" to her. But it was just a substitution for another word, as she had pointed out. And as such, her loyalty – if it could be called that – was to her creator and her Master

Her programming emulated curiosity, self-preservation, and a rudimentary form of empathy. She could discover new sensations and knowledge on her own, but first and foremost, she would learn from her creator. His words were top priority and overwrote everything else. Yet for her to continue learning, he would have to be safe, and she had just learned that some of his words were in fact harmful to himself.

One of the first things she had done after listening to this foreign man talk was to reorder her priorities.

The doctor had said a week. After a week, he would die. Death meant that he would no longer be around.

She could not think about anything after that. It wasn't that she hadn't tried, but that it was beyond her comprehension. A world without her creator.

For now, such a world did not exist, and she limited her future planning to the time Brother was alive.

She was brought from her musings, the glass of water she had been intending to fill still empty, by a loud beep. One of the buttons flashed next to the phone. It was the message transceiver, an old machine that was rarely used, in the lab, but occasionally Len would receive notices through it, so he had wired it to the phone.

It was telling her there was one new message.

She contemplated her options. Perhaps the message was urgent and would be beneficial to Len.

With this thought, she opened the door and left the house, making her way to the lab where she had been born.


	10. The Third Miracle

Hey guys! It's been a while. Hope the older readers will still take a look at this chapter.

Since it's been a while, I'll admit the style may have changed a little. Also, I'm ... a biiiit more of a Vocaloid fan now than I was before, but that won't affect the story any, haha. (Also started listening to Miku songs instead of just Len/Rin songs ... because you can't be a fan of Vocaloids and not listen to her when she sings 90% of everything!)

Private life? Excuses? Uhm, med school apps, public health school apps, honors thesis project, college graduation... etc etc. It's all good. It's all over. Yay!

Now I get a week of bum-out time before I'm back home and ... put to work cleaning the yard or something, lol!

Oh, one thing about this story. I've gotten a few reviews about some suggestions that are really good. However, I'm not going to change anything quite yet. I'm almost sure IM will be undergoing a rewrite sometime in the future, and the changes/suggestions will definitely be incorporated then! Thank you for all who helped!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

When he woke, it was already past noon.

He blinked blearily. Light streamed in tangible ribbons through the curtains.

His brain was still fuzzy with sleep. It didn't hold any thought for long, and any attempt just ended in a mental slap on the cerebrum. Still tired. He yawned, stretching before realizing that something pulled at his wrist.

Why was there an IV?

His lips turned downwards, a frown marring his features. He had no intention in being a marionette with cut strings for what remained of his life. If he were to live, he'd live as he wanted.

He rubbed his eyes free of the remnants of the dreamless night before shuffling over to the edge of the bed. Looking around, he saw his clothes in a corner.

Where was the robot? Usually she woke him up by this time.

When his thoughts alighted on her again, he sighed, this time in regret. If there were one thing he could wish for, he wished he could have completed her. The reasons varied, but it was all the same.

He was a perfectionist. Leaving an incomplete project behind bothered him on a fundamental level.

She was still learning. He wanted to teach her as much of the world as possible. She was like a child; one he had raised, and even if he hadn't yet reached the second decade of his life, he still felt some emotional investment and pride.

She was … still learning. He had to tell her as much as possible. He had to tell her as much as possible about _her_, because he was the only one who could do so, and with him would die the rest of her.

It wasn't even about making the robot into her, either as a replacement or a substitute, or even a copy. It was about her memories, and even if the robot could never be human, her data banks would keep her alive long past his own lifespan.

No, he didn't want to die. He didn't want to die yet. There was so much to do!

He dressed and exited the room. Only a small cough interrupted him in his processes. He didn't let it bother him. After all, it was a small ripple in an ocean of waves. There was more to worry about.

Where was she anyways? The past days, she'd come running at the slightest sign of trouble, and with her sensitive hearing…

He froze in his steps. Suddenly, a sound that he hadn't heard in … he'd forgotten how long. A sound that definitely should not have been in the house was there.

He almost missed it, but the moment it entered his ears, his mind focused on it. It was all he could hear because for the life of him he could not figure out why it was there.

It had been so long since…

The noise emitted from beyond the kitchen. He followed it. He couldn't explain the attraction. He hastened his steps. Closer and closer, it was drawing him.

It should have been impossible.

Through the hallways. Past the stairs. He was running.

Down into the basement. The lights were still off, the rooms dark. With a flurry of cloth, he stopped at the door, hand resting on the frame as he fought to catch his breath.

He could make out the silhouette from the blinking red light on the machine.

Kneeling on the ground, face buried in hand, she sat there. Soft sniffling pulled at his mind, and suddenly he was no longer in the laboratory any more. He was at a roadside, at a parking lot, any of the many places his memory still held tightly.

And the girl crying softly before him wasn't the robot. She wasn't "the girl." She was _her_.


	11. Knowledge from the Future

I always forget, but seeing my story formatted on ff is always weird, since the margins are wider. What were paragraphs turns into a single line...

* * *

**Chapter 11**

She couldn't stop trembling. She felt her breath quicken uncontrollably, and she couldn't stop hiccupping.

Comprehension beyond her grasp. Her breathing was merely superficial and should have been controlled by her circuits.

Why? How?

She did not know. She did not understand what was going on.

One moment the light was blinking: a message had been received. The next, she saw events that were, events that are, events that would be, and all were events same and different. She was being created. She was being taught. She was watching her Master die before her.

But then death came, and it hadn't come yet here.

Impossibility. Truth?

She shook her head. She couldn't stop the tears. They flowed and flowed, and she didn't know why.

No, she did know why, but she didn't know how. She hurt. She imagined the area was where her Master called "the heart." She had not understood. Emotions were a function of the brain, so how could painful emotions inflict physical damage around the chest area?

But as the sorrow, the joy, the calm, the confusion, the loneliness, the … lostness of everything gripped at her, it was there she felt pain.

He was not dead. He had not died yet. What she saw was an impossibility, because it had yet to happen!

She heard crashes and stomping, and before long, a winded Len appeared around the corner. His hair was matted every which way, and his shirt was haphazardly thrown on. Sweat still dotted his brow, and she saw the small trickle of blood flowing from the hole near his elbow.

See? He was still here. Here, physical, and breathing.

Breathing too much, perhaps. She stood up, looked at him. "What is wrong?"

Eyebrow raised, eyes widened. Surprise. The next expression was harder to read, a glance to the left with a pinched frown. "N-nothing. I … I just thought I'd heard something." His eyes rose again, and this time, he searched her face. "What's wrong? You're crying."

"It was nothing. An involuntary reaction to … the mysterious phenomenon. There was a message and I thought it may be urgent." Yes, that's what she had been doing. In the confusion, she had forgotten.

"What did the message say?"

"There was no message. It appears to be an error."

Master's breathing had slowed. He was calmer now, not panting. It wasn't good that he was exerting himself.

His next action surprised her, and she jumped a little. He jumped a little at her startled response in return, his hand jerking away from her cheek where he had started to wipe away her tears.

There was silence. She did not know how to break it. It was beginning to get uncomfortable when Master spoke again. "I think I'm going to return to bed." The statement was made with a slight crunch of the nose. Reluctance.

Before he could continue, she cut in. "Allow me to help you."

Surprise again, but she forged on. "You are exhausted from your journey down. We must conserve as much energy as possible. It is the same between robots and humans, is it not?"

Silence again, but this time it was broken by a chuckle. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He allowed himself to be supported by her, and his willingness to comply softened the anxieties that were rampant within her.


	12. The Heart You Wished For

Yay, the story has passed 10,000 words!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

There was a change. Something had changed. He couldn't rightly pinpoint what, but it was there.

There were the subtle things, like her increasing independence or her reluctance to leave him alone. She would follow him around, and she would frown as though criticizing his movements, like she wanted to strap him down to the bed to keep him immobile but wouldn't dare.

She would hum a little when she thought, when she tried to decide what to cook for dinner. She would do meaningless gestures like tap her finger against her chin when she slogged through some of the more difficult musical scores, or give a small sigh when his fits stopped.

That night, something had changed, and he did not know what, but if he were to hazard a guess, it was almost like she…

Even now, he hesitated to think the word. It would be hoping too much.

It would be hoping for the impossible.

But she made her own decisions, not out of practicality but out of desire. She was starting to show impatience and anxiety, listlessness. Determination and joy, calm relaxation.

The little gesticulations were only the surface.

What had happened that night? He didn't know. He wasn't sure he'd ever find out, but if it was the work of a miracle…

There was nothing to do but to be thankful. Accept what he was given. Tie the gift horse's mouth shut so he couldn't look into it.

He didn't give "lessons" anymore. There was no need, not when there was nothing more to be taught. Instead, she continued on her own initiative, rehearsing the songs she had learned, cooking for him.

He supposed this would be interesting from a scientific perspective, if he cared to examine the phenomenon. She was still machine, a robot that acted based on program. Despite her gradual change, she learned as quickly as ever. He could still input code, but now there was another factor, like a second layer to her neural workings that controlled her actions and modulated them based off her own desires.

And despite all this, she still was not aware of the change herself.

"How did I do, Brother?"

He smiled. Her singing was as beautiful as ever; there was nothing to complain about there. "You did wonderfully."

She smiled, a reflex that was impossible a mere week ago. He dared to attribute the light reflecting off her artificial orbs to the joy of success she was experiencing. "Thank you, Brother. What song would you like to hear next?"

"No, that's enough-"

"We can sit here then. It appears you are deep in thought. Perhaps the fresh air will make it easier for you than sitting inside."

She was also beginning to anticipate him better and better as time went on, he thought.

The robot – no, this girl – was not Rin, and never would be.

She smiled differently. Rin smiled with a wide-toothed devil-may-care grin that seemed to shine like the sun. This girl … she had a close-lipped smile that was gentle, that warmed him to his soul.

But honestly, he could not find it within himself to tell her to do otherwise, simply because it felt too much like nipping a bud before it bloomed. She had come far, from an emotionless structure of metal that only knew "yes" or "no," that called him Master or Brother to…

…someone who looked after him, who made her own decisions, who decided that she liked singing and sketching, and perhaps wanted to try her hand in gardening.

The ethical question was a mess, but that was the least of his worries. He knew Rin. He knew the girl. He knew both of them, and he simply could not make the decision to take one and replace the other, make her into a mere shadow, cheap imitation.

No, not when she could be a full, complete being on her own.

He could not find it within himself to hamper her, to restrain her by imposing his view of Rin on her.

So he no longer "taught." He "shared." He told the stories, more out of remembering than out of a desire to transform the girl.

He supposed he should think of a name for her soon. A name of her own, that suited her person instead of what he wanted her to be.


	13. Thank You

I swear, this story is almost done. Seriously.

...Did you know it was originally only supposed to be 10 chs long?

Enjoy! 

* * *

**Chapter 13**

The days passed in a blur. One week, two weeks. Months.

The chaos within her was growing. She worried and fussed. It was unnatural. Odd. But when she had brought it up to Brother, he only shook his head, smiled, and said to let it be.

He compared it to a bitter medicine, something bad that had to happen for something good to happen. He said it was like climbing a mountain, where you feel a sense of accomplishment at having reached the top.

It didn't make her feel any better. It was still an anomaly, and anomalies were dangerous. However, if Brother said it was all right, then the only thing she could do was trust him.

But that was only the least of the problems. She had not forgotten the troubling visions, and occasionally she would see him still, still and unmoving, and her hand would move on its own to shake him.

Luckily, he thought nothing of this, and was perhaps even amused by the nonsensical gesture.

But then one day, he did not wake up immediately, and suddenly, it was all a blur – illogical; time was constant, no matter the instance, so why did it feel like everything happened so fast? She yelled his name, louder than she had all his life.

(It was only later she realized she had called him by his name, something she'd never uttered before. Amazing, how it just flowed from her lips, so much easier than Brother or even Master.)

Still no response, and now that unnatural feeling was writhing all through her. She didn't like it.

"Wake up, Brother!" she yelled, louder than the last.

And there, finally, there was a response. A small cough, and then his eyes opened slowly. "Rin…?"

"We have to get you to bed. You need to lie down." She hastened to lift Len up, but his hand stopped her.

"No. It's all right." A small cough, and a small upturn of the lips. "It's been a long time coming." He straightened against the back of the chair, despite her protests. His breathing was wet and she hastened to grab a tissue.

With a small thanks, Len wiped the drop of red from his hand. The coughing was less frequent lately, but she noticed that instead they were accompanied by blood more and more often.

"I will bring you some water. Please, don't move," she said as she stood and made her way quickly to the sink.

While she was filling the glass, she heard his voice over the running water. "What would you like your name to be?"

The question startled her. "I do not know. I was never assigned a name."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. For everything. I haven't been treating you properly."

"That is not true. You have taught me everything I know, and I owe my life to you. For that, I am eternally grateful."

"No, I should be thanking you." She did not respond, not knowing how to. "You brought me back, back from … from the company of a ghost. I think I lived life more these past weeks than I have half my life. The least I can do… Would you like to choose your name? What would you like your name to be?" he asked again.

Another pause, and the girl robot figured something was wrong with her. In need of maintenance? Her circuit, made by the hands of her creator, should not be having processing errors this often. "Choose my name?"

Len only nodded. "I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't want you to choose. Don't worry, I won't say no, whatever it is."

She returned and handed the glass to him. A name. Her name… A different kind of a worm from before squirmed within her, another indescribable emotion. But there was only one identity she associated herself with. "With your permission, I would like … to be called 'Rin.'"

Silence greeted her. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Is it … undesirable?"

He shook his head. "No, it's just … how to put it … ironic." He looked up into her eyes. "Rin, then?"

She nodded.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded again.

Then the boy scientist stood and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you for everything, Rin."

Even though they were facing away from each other, they were clasped so tightly that they could feel the trembles from each other as they cried.


	14. The End

**Chapter 14**

A miracle. That was what it was. Unscientific, against everything he ever believed, but possibly the only explanation.

Tears, and even though it was him who had installed tear ducts (there was no reason to change what biology has determined worked), he only tightened his grip around her.

He was surprised at her choice in name. But then, perhaps it was expected. It was the only name she had an attachment to.

Or perhaps it was fate.

Or perhaps it simply didn't matter.

"Thank you," he whispered again.

He felt the responding nod.

And then the days passed quickly, quicker than ever before.

And one day he was standing, the next on the floor, and finally, in the bed.

He looked up, and saw the doctor and Rin.

He turned to the man. "You'll take care of her? She's my sister."

A slight show of surprise, but perhaps he was in such bad condition that he immediately hid it. A nod. "I will."

He turned to her. "I'm lucky to have known two of you."

Her eyes were moist again. The sight made him smile. "Live however you want. It's OK. There's a Rin where I'm going too. You don't have to force yourself for me anymore."

She shook her head furiously, but by then he had already closed his eyes.

A good life, that was what he had. He did not regret how he lived his life. Regret would mean denying this new Rin hers, and she … she was his creation. Someone he brought in to the world with his own hands.

Pride. Yes, he could feel it more, now that he wasn't blinded by his ties to the past.

Regret would mean erasing all that had happened after, all the time they spent together.

Love too, perhaps, of many different sorts.

Regret would mean not being able to see her feel, not being able to witness this miracle.

Joy, for he felt complete. All wishes complete. Reached.

He needed, wanted nothing more.


	15. And Beyond

Ah ... sorry for the misleading title last chapter?

There's one more chapter to go! Thanks for sticking with this story this far =)

Edit: I've made some slight typo changes. Thanks to moos for pointing them out *huggles***  
**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Rin lived.

She lived, and she watched, and she learned more than she had ever thought possible.

Home could not contain her for long, not for an immortal robot, and so she had spread her wings. Other environments, other continents, other countries. Every place was different, and nothing ceased to amaze her.

Life was truly a miracle to be treasured.

The death had been long ago, and her brother was resting with the sakura tree he had loved so much. Logically, she knew that by now, only bones would have remained under those roots, and yet she could not find it within herself to give up the property, now abandoned, only to gather dust.

Acquaintances had come and helped take care of matters. The good doctor had brought her out into the world and taught her everything she had not already learned from Len. A friend of her brother's helped her with the property, saying that it was best the prodigy's research be kept quiet.

It had been years since, though. Too many. Time passed quicker for others than for her. The mansion, the lab, and the tree were now hers.

But they were empty, for several decades had passed and she had only just returned from the opposite side of the globe. She had seen the world with her own eyes. She would have many stories to tell him.

The place remained much as it was. Though there were obvious signs of disrepair, it was still standing.

Behind lay the abandoned lab. After a moment's respectful silence, she walked past.

By the tree, she lay down her suitcase. She removed her hat, holding the soft white woven wear between her fingers. What he would have given to see her like this, dressed like a real girl. Ribboned sunhat, pale yellow sundress that fluttered in the wind.

No, she knew what he had given, and she still loved him for it.

Eternally grateful, she had said, and she had been.

"Hello, Len," she said into the silence. "It has been sixty years. I hope you are well. I have been to many places and seen many people, and there is too much to share, so I will do so later."

She paused. With her newly gained experience, she knew that the feeling within her was called "guilt."

"I have kept a secret from you. There was a message that day, the day I first cried. In the message, I saw many things. It was very confusing and even now I am afraid my interpretation of what I saw may be incorrect." She took a deep breath. It was becoming difficult to continue.

"It was a song. The song contained a message, one from the future. No, that is incorrect. It was from a future, but a different one. In it, I learned of what happened to me. There was death, and confusion, and loneliness. There, I had only awakened to my heart long after your death."

She moved to sit beside the stone slab. "I have lived, and I have watched others with the heart that was gifted to me. I have done everything I could possibly wish for, and now … now, all I wish for is to see you.

"Did you know that there exists a theory about the afterlife in almost every culture? I have learned so much, you would be proud. I cannot wait to share it with you. You never were good with anything without numbers.

"I know you would never approve of what I plan to do, but I do not wish to deprive another me of her soul. Please forgive me.

"I … had a lot of fun.

"I hope to see you soon."

And with those words, she opened her mouth, and began to sing. The air reverberated with the effort with which she poured her soul into it – her memories, the memories of a self long past, the marvelous lives she witnessed and touched in her travels. The miracle of life. And most of all, the emotions.

Everything. Everything she was, is, had been.

She did not know how she would send the message, but she knew she would try. So she sang, and when she could sing no more, still she sang. Sang until she could feel her circuits strain under the exertion. Until she could literally feel destruction building within her.

And still, she sang.

She sang a message in a celebration to herself, the joy and sorrow of emotions that defined humans overflowing from her.

She sang to bring joy, however ephemeral, to the boy who had created her and to whom she owed everything.

She sang for her unborn heart.

And then, she heard her brother's voice, and she knew no more.


	16. Another Side

**Another Side  
**

There was darkness.

It was difficult to move. Where was she? What time was it?

It was time to pour tea for Master.

Where was Master?

She saw light, and she followed it, and when she opened the door, she was assaulted with sun, wind, and grass.

There was nothing else, save for a large tree in the distance.

Where was Master?

She walked. The house was empty. It was dirty, blankets of dust coating everything that wasn't waterlogged from the leaking roof. Collapse was only a matter of time.

The lab was empty. There were no signs of life and she knew she did not have to climb downstairs to check for him.

Where was Master?

She wandered. Wandered and wandered, always within the property. A week later, and she came to the tree she dismissed every time she had passed it by. The shade was comfortable. Her circuits were overheating.

The tree was the only anomaly in the flat horizon. She did not remember it being there when she was last awake.

How long had passed when she was asleep?

She saw a rock slab behind the tree. It was standing conspicuously out in the open, but always having been blocked by the trunk, she had never noticed it. She approached it.

It was old. Weathered. Beaten. It had probably been present for centuries. It was difficult to tell; she had no data on weathering and could therefore make no accurate extrapolations.

The lettering was faded, but barely legible.

_Len Kagamine_

_Beloved brother, dear friend_

_A short life does not preclude the fulfillment of dreams._

_**30 — **46_

Len. Len was her Master. She had found her Master.

But he was now a rock. She did not understand.

Time passed, as she knelt by the grave marker, she discovered that waiting while awake was much more difficult to waiting while asleep. Time passed slower. She had time to think.

And think she did, as she remembered what she could from her memories, clunky in disuse from her long slumber. She thought about Len, her Master, the only human she had known.

She thought about how he could never talk to her again, and she found herself strangely expecting. As though, even though there was no hope of resurrection, he could come back some day. If not today, then the next day.

It wasn't real. None of this was real.

She wanted to hear his voice, hear his words. His lectures, his teachings. She wanted to see him, to touch him, to know that he was there. But he isn't any more and she could have none of that, and it bothered her, that it did.

Where was her Master?

Her Master was in front of her, and he was far beyond her now.

Never again. Those words repeated in her mind, ran in circles until she began scowling and frowning tears came to her eyes. She hastened to wipe the bothersome liquid away.

Never again, and this time the phrase that Len had always used came to her. He had missed his sister.

She missed her Master.

And she began crying. Loud wails, in earnest, that transmitted across the whole field that was their yard. She could hear nothing but her own sniffles, and by the time she had cried herself dry, night had already passed and dawn was ushering in the new day.

She sat quietly, spent, for a few more days. The tears and the horrible wrenching in her chest were her constant companions.

Then, one day, as she was sorting through her memories of him, to relive them as well as she could, she remembered something he had told her.

He had told her that songs chase away sorrow. That they celebrate life, bring blessings. That they were the miracle connection from people to people, and that they had magical properties. He had said all this with a bitter smile, one of the few moments he had brought up his sister, as she was the one who held these beliefs. Apparently she had repeated this ideal so often he had involuntarily memorized the speech.

She wanted a miracle to happen. Something, anything, to take away the pain.

And so she sang.

She sang until her throat was sore, indicating wear and tear of her artificial chords. She sang her joy, her sorrow, her aching loneliness, and, most of her, her regret for never having understood him.

She sang until all of her was spent, and she slumped next to her only love in her life, satisfied and accomplished.

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And this is the end. Thanks to everyone who followed the story through! I'm really glad I finished it, and even though I was in a bit of a bind sometimes in terms of motivation, I was able to continue through thanks to all the reviews I go (even the crazy ones) =)

I hope to see you in another story!


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